Definition of the word panda

The word "panda" originates from the Nepali and Tibetan language. The Nepali word "penda" or "penda-pa" refers to the bamboo-leaved plant, and the Tibetan word "po ḍa" means "bamboo grass". Early European travelers and traders who encountered the animal in the Himalayas adopted these words and anglicized them to create the term "panda". In the 19th century, the British zoologist William Henry Sykes used the term "panda" to describe the giant panda in a report to the Asiatic Society of Bengal. The term gained popularity and has since been widely used to refer to this iconic bear species. Interestingly, in Mandarin Chinese, the giant panda is known as "" (xióng māo), which literally means "bear cat". However, the term "panda" has become a widely recognized and commonly used English term to refer to this beloved species.